Frank Vignola
Gypsy Grass

Mark Olson Studio
Cambridge, WI
April 15, 2007

Frank Vignola's Gypsy Grass

Photos & Story by Brad Walseth

An opportunity to hear Frank Vignola and his Gypsy Grass band playing live in a living room in front of 25 people was something I could not let pass. Noted black and white landscape photographer and guitarist Mark Olson, and his lovely wife Susan graciously opened up the doors to their beautiful Cambridge home to allow a few of Frank's fans the chance of a lifetime for an intimate 2 hour concert. From the delicious potluck to the fabulous weather - the day was perfect. A small group of intelligent and friendly music buffs gathered and awaited the arrival of Frank and his group who were traveling from gigs in Indiana to a concert Sunday night in Beaver Dam.

For those unfamiliar with Vignola - he was recently named one of America's top five guitarists, and with good cause. He has played with many top artists including Les Paul, and is often on tour with mandolinist David Grisman. However, he may be best known to many as the author of many guitar instructional books for Mel Bay. His recent recording of Gershwin tunes is top notch (see our review), and he also has a CD on his own label with the Gypsy Grass group he is currently touring with.

The band arrived and enjoyed some lunch and a few cold ones with the audience before launching into an incendiary "The Flyswatter." The delighted crowd grinned and applauded as Frank and the band tore through numbers like "Flight of the Bumblebee," "Salad and Doughnuts" - where animated drummer Rich Zukor "played" his belly, and Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" - featuring rhythm guitarist Don Keiling's warm vocals. A medley of metal band "Slayer's" (?!)songs was surprising fun, Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust" glittered, and you haven't lived until you've heard Frank Zappa's "Let Me Take You To the Beach" done as gypsy jazz. Bassist Gary Mazzaroppi kept things moving with solid, fast lines, while young violin phenom Aaron Weinstein channeled Stephane Grappelli with his inspired playing.

Young 2nd guitarist Vinny Raniolo turned 22 on this day and the whole group sang to him. This young man is an incredible musician and has quite a future ahead of him. But the young man also is open and humble; when asked how he got so good, he gave all the credit to playing nightly with his mentor Frank Vignola. And the master is atsonishing. Several times during the course of the concert our host Mark and I would exchange glances of sheer unbelief at the breath-takingly graceful, yet lightning-fast Django-esque riffs Vignola created out of thin air. Utterly jaw-dropping playing combined with respect for music, and played with an absolute joyfulness, and a sense of humor - Frank is quite the kidder and at one point in the show made yours truly the subject of a quite humorous (albeit embarrassing) jest, by stopping the song mid-way and posing all the members of the band for me to shoot the picture. The results are on this page and I hope they reflect some of the good natured fun that was had by all. Thank you Mark and Susan. And thank you to Frank and the band.